Dai must dig deeper after Culson leapsahead in the chase for London gold

Dai Greene has three weeks to find two
metres. That was the margin by which our gold-shoed Olympic hopeful was
beaten by Javier Culson on a soggy evening in south London.

It is now a stomach-churning night on
another side of town that beckons these two men - Greene of Wales and
Culson of Puerto Rico - with a mighty duel awaiting them in the 400
metres hurdles final on Monday, August 6.

He will attempt to achieve then what
he could not do last night at Crystal Palace's Diamond League meeting,
namely end Culson's unbeaten record in 2012 when it ultimately counts.

Going for gold: Javier Culson and Dai Greene

The sun crept out for the first time here as Greene and the star-laden field settled in their blocks. A false start, from Bershawn Jackson in lane eight, heightened the tension. But they were away at the second attempt, with the tall, smooth-running Culson off to a blistering start. He maintained his advantage around the bend.

Could Greene, a strong finisher, reel in Culson? He had done it in Daegu at the World Championships last year as his rival rocked under the strain of his efforts. But, no, Greene did not have enough in reserve this time.

Culson, in an orange headband, ran 47.78sec, equalling his own fastest run of the year, with Greene second in 48.10sec. Angelo Taylor, the double Olympic champion, was third.

First place: Culson finishes ahead of Greene at Crystal Palace

The Culson-Greene one-two was a repeat of last week's result in Paris, only that Culson's time was identical but Greene's 0.26sec slower.

'I cannot lie, I would have loved to have got one over Javier,' said Greene, named Britain's Olympic athletics captain this week. 'He is running well but, considering where I was six weeks ago, to have two great races back to back like that is great. There are lots of positives.

'Anyone going into the Olympics unbeaten has got to be the favourite but I guess Javier would say I'm the home favourite as it's my home crowd. I'm a couple of metres off him but I know I can improve and I will get stronger. I maybe was too gung-ho after the run in Paris and trained too hard.

Greene's exact prospects are hard to assess because of the disjointed build-up that has beset him: surgery on his left knee in December hampered his winter training, yet he has felt over the last few weeks that he is running himself into form.

One huge advantage for Greene at the Olympics will be his big-race temperament. He has that stare; that total focus; the clean technique that appears resilient under pressure.

Culson might be the master at the one-off evening but there are three rounds at the Olympics, changing the demands and dynamics of competition.

But despite that, and as befits the winner, Culson stepped off the track to say: 'I am very happy not because I won but because of the time. It shows I am running consistently. The weather is too cold for me. Puerto Rico is very tropical. But I have been here in London acclimatising. I have to start fast as Dai is very strong. I remember that from the world final last year when I saw him coming.

'But I am stronger this year.'

This was not an evening for casual fans to show up. So, of course, some of the 16,000 seats were unoccupied. Others shivered under umbrellas.

Focused: Greene has work to do

It appeared a remarkable leap from this kind of scene for the diehard devotees to the razzmatazz of the Olympic Stadium. The top tickets there will set you back £750. Here the price range went from £20.12 - we note what they have done there - to £100.

This rickety old place looked its dilapidated worst in the gloaming. It was never intended to be a stadium when it was built in the Sixties but the national training centre. Its all-weather track was an improvement from the cinder track at White City so athletics meets decamped and a hotchpotch of an arena was born.

Thankfully, British athletics will be moving to the gleaming new stadium in Stratford come 2014. Greene, and his training partner Jack Green, who finished fourth with a personal best of 48.60sec, will be there sooner.

Before then Greene is off abroad. 'It's Portugal now, to work on things,' he said. 'It will be good to get some sun.'